Rescue Me
by KatiePoo2010
Summary: Velma Dinkley has always been the smart one. A traumatic event has led her to put her walls up, and walk away from everything. What happens when an old friend comes back and asks her to join Mystery Inc again? Will she join, or continue a life of solitude? Warning! Contains rape, cursing, lemons, and touchy scenes. R&R. Hope you enjoy! (if you don't like, then don't read. Thanks!)
1. Intro: Velma

Prolouge

...Velma...

So many thoughts have been running through my head lately. I don't even know where to begin, so I guess I'll start here. You see, I'm changing. Something is going horribly wrong with my mental stability. For your information, I'm _not_ going psycho or anything of the sort. It took me a few weeks to discover what my diagnosis is, but when it started, even I'll admit that I was confused.

It all started with the last mystery. Fred and Daphne split up together, as usual. That left me with two options; either go by myself, or join the dynamic duo of Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. Seeing as it was late at night and that I didn't exactly want to branch off by myself in an old, decrepit house, I tagged along with Shaggy and Scooby.

One thing led to another, and Shaggy and Scooby fell through a couple of rotted floor boards. While I frantically searched for a way to get my friends out of the hole they now stood in, the culprit appeared behind me. I recall Shaggy yelling, demanding that I get out of there before I got hurt; I complied.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not really physically fit by any means. As I tried my best to run, I tripped and fell onto my chest, sending my glasses flying off my face and onto the floor. Everything literally became a blur, and I felt myself being dragged by my ankles to a place I was thankful that I couldn't see.

I screamed and I thrashed, scratching myself against the wooden floor. When we hit the carpet, however, my elbows began to burn, as did my stomach. In all honesty, for the first time, my logic evaded me and I really thought he had removed my sweater. How foolish of me, though. It was still around my neck, for one. Second, it took me all of thirty seconds to realize that my shirt was riding up due to the direction we were traveling, and that it was being rubbed against the floor.

Panic had taken over my senses, and I wasn't thinking rationally. Of course this creepy thing was just going to tie me up and gag me until my friends came to rescue me. I was going to be used as bait. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I felt myself being thrown against something hard, and it knocked the breath out of me. Screaming, I tried to hit at the person in the mask, but to no avail. He ended up trying my hands behind my back. Then, I felt myself being thrown onto the ground on my stomach. By now, I was in more tears than I'd ever been in my entire life. My throat was raw from screaming, and my heart felt as though it was going to burst out of my chest. I was tired from crying; my stomach and chest muscles sore from it all.

The pain I felt next will never be felt again, as he took something from me that I will never be able to get back. It was horrible, the pain that ripped through me. His saliva covered member roughly pushed in and out of me, causing me to scream louder than I have ever done in my life. He pulled at my short, tangled hair, and spoke obscenities to me while he continued to soil my womanhood.

My friends never came, and I felt abandoned. I couldn't blame Scooby and Shaggy, though; I know they were unable to get out of that hole. Fred and Daphne, though, they should have come when they heard me scream. I'm Velma Dinkley; I hardly ever scream.

I felt him pull out, and he sprayed all over my skirt. I felt disgusting. I had been made impure, and it was the worst I had ever felt. He demanded that I stay where I was; I made nice bait, he said. I knew it! I was just ransom, but then I became victim. His laugh made me cringe through my tears, and I sill can't describe it.

The man then proceeded to clean me up, the stain still lining the back of my skirt. Unable to see, I felt myself being thrown onto a cold, metal floor. The sound of a gate shutting led me to believe that I was inside of a cage of some sort. I was trapped.

Fred and Daphne must have found Scooby and Shaggy because around half an hour later, they found me; so did the police who took the men into custody. I remember hearing Daphne scream my name, along with Fred and Scooby. Shaggy placed my glasses onto my face, speaking to me words that I never heard as I watched my world grow dark.


	2. Attempting

Five Years Later

Shaggy

It was just me today; I told the gang that I had a few personal things to take care of. It wasn't a lie, but I didn't want them to know where I was going. I just happened to be back in Coolsville, the essence of my childhood. It's where I met all of my friends, even Scooby-Doo. It's where I went to school, and it's where I graduated. Here I am, a whopping twenty-four years old, and I'm living a life that I never thought I'd live.

Solving mysteries is fun, sure. Being chased by men in masks and then the ones you think are men in masks, but are really monsters; that's another story for another day. I've always been the scared, whimpy one of the group, but I've never let that stop me. Scooby and I are on the same boat, but there's nothing we wouldn't do for a Scooby Snack, or more importantly, our friends.

That's what brings me back to Coolsville; an old friend. I haven't seen her in a total of five years, and it's past time that I come and visit her. I don't know how she'll react; she just walked away from Mystery Inc., not saying a word. We all went to bed at the hotel, and when we woke up, Velma was just gone.

I remember that we had frantically called her parents, and everyone before we found the note that she'd left for us. I still held on to it, and read it every day. Sometimes, it's like a part of the Velmster is still here with us. Sitting down on a bench at Coolsville Park, I pulled out the worn piece of paper, and felt my eyes water; something that happened daily when I read the letter that Velma left.

_Guys,_

_ I can't tell you how much each of you mean to me._

_ Daphne: You're such a good friend to me, and you're like a sister. I love you so much. I never tell you just how beautiful you are, and how sweet. Fred's going to be a lucky guy someday. I know someday to expect little ones from you two._  
_ Fred: You're the big brother that I never had. Thanks for always taking care of me and everyone else. You don't know how much I appreciate you. Take care of everyone, and especially Daphne._  
_ Scooby-Doo: You're such a great dog. Honestly, you're not even a dog to me; you're always the hero that comes and saves the day without meaning to. You've always made me laugh, and I want you to keep everyone in line. Don't be scared, Scooby. You're stronger than you think._  
_ Shaggy: Shaggy, I don't know where to begin. I'd say you're like a brother figure to me, but you're not. You're my best friend. I know that I can come to you for anything. You and your love for food is untouchable. I hope you find self-confidence, and that you won't let men in masks scare you anymore. You and Scooby both are stronger than you make yourselves out to be. I believe in you, Shaggy._

_ I know you all will worry and wonder where I am, but I just can't tell you right now. I can't tell you where I am or why I left. Just know that I did it with all good intentions in heart. I love each and every one of you. Take care._

_ -Velma Dinkley_

"Velma," I whispered to the trees around me, "I don't know what happened, but I'm not leaving until you come back with me."

...88...

I felt a knot swell in my stomach as I approached the older style house. I felt like running away like a scared little puppy, but I respected Velma's wishes and stayed strong; or I at least tried to anyway.

Gulping, I walked to the door and sighed. Today wasn't going to end well; I just knew it. My trembling fingers barely made it to the door bell, but when I heard the chiming throughout the house, I knew I'd accomplished yet another fear of mine.

I heard the foot steps grow closer to the door, and my heartbeat out ran them. I heard the door unlock, and it slowly opened. My heart stopped when I saw her face on the other side.

"Shaggy?", her voice rolled out quietly, her huge, brown eyes wide with surprise.

I nodded and watched as she stepped aside, letting me come in her parents' home. It felt like hours had passed before I was finally able to breathe again.

Turning to look at her, I gave her my usual, goofy grin, "Like Velma, long time no see. How are you?"

"Uh, good," she said quietly, eyeballing the floor as she sat on the couch, "how'd you know that I was home?"

I chose to sit in a chair across from her, and I replied, "Mom called while we were over in Radtown. I didn't hesitate to make an excuse to leave. Like, I didn't want the rest of the gang here. I didn't wanna over crowd you, ya know?"

She nodded and sat still, slowly looking up to meet my eyes, "I've missed all of you so much."

"Then come back with me," I replied slowly, knowing what her response was going to be, though we'd never had this particular conversation. Before she could say anything, I continued, "Velms, we all miss you. I miss you. Like, Mystery Inc. isn't the same without you there. Who am I supposed to talk to about girl problems, or parental issues. Who's supposed to calm me down, or give me Scooby Snacks?"

"Daphne and Fred are perfectly capable of giving you food, Shaggy," she said, looking away, "I just can't come back. I can't, for reasons beyond your capacity for understanding. And no, I'm not calling you stupid, because you're not. Just, stop it. I am not coming back."

It felt like my heart shattered, and for the first time in a long time, I felt tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. Why is this hurting? I guess it's because my best friend just refused to come back with me.

I stood up, not bearing to look at her, and walked to the door. I let out the words that I'd been holding in for a while, "Like, if that's what you want, Velma. I'll stop, and I'll even leave you alone. I'm leaving; I can't stand this anymore. Daphne, Fred and Scooby need you. I need you. I miss my best friend. Like, I'm sorry my brain capacity doesn't match yours. I'll be at home for the weekend if you change your mind. Whatever you choose, I hope you're happy and I wish you luck; like, I believe in you, Velms."

With that being said, I walked out the door before she could retaliate. As sweet as she is, you don't want to get Velma mad; she'll turn into a demon.


	3. Convinced

...Velma...

"Damnit Shaggy," I yelled into my pillow as I cried, "why did you have to show up? I was doing fine! Now I have all of these damned emotions running through me!"

I was doing fine, wasn't I? I just became head of the Science Department at Coolsville University, I'm about to buy my own house, and I have a few friends who understand all of what I am saying. So I'm doing just spiffy, right?

Then why is it that when Shaggy lied to the old gang for my sake, and came to see me, I let all of these pent up emotions come back? I mean damn I go to therapy twice a week now instead of five, I've learned to cope with the rape, and the possibility of ever getting married is next to nothing; I can't trust a man ever again. Well, Fred and Shaggy are exceptions; they're the two guys I've known since middle school. My dad is another exception, but hey; he's my dad.

"I miss them all so much," I mumbled as my sobs died down, "I want to go back but, I can't. Can I?"

Sighing, I rolled over onto my back, and clutched my stuffed elephant 'Marty' close to me. I scanned my walls, and took in the old photographs. There were old newspaper clippings of when we solved a random mystery, pictures of Mystery Inc. also lined the walls, and I stopped at a picture of Shaggy and I at prom. My best friend; yeah he's a goofball.

He was wearing a green tuxedo with a brown tie. I myself, well I wore an orange dress that barely showed anything. I grimaced at the fact that I was wearing a skirt; never again.

Sitting up, I sighed, "Okay, I guess I should go and face the music. To Shaggy's house, I guess."

I walked over to my small closet and pulled out a pair of denim, sequen pocketed jeans, and my signature orange sweater.

...8...

I didn't bother knocking on the front door, I walked around and knocked on the basement doors; Shaggy had been living in his parents' basement for as long as I can remember.

Standing there nervously, I watched as one of the doors opened, and a very shaken Shaggy stood there. His eyes were red, and I wondered if he'd been crying. That couldn't be true, though. He'd always been the one to make us laugh, to make sure we didn't cry.

No words were spoken as I walked in and stood in the middle of the room, watching Shaggy close the door. When he turned and looked at me, I felt my heart racing; I wanted to go home. However, by home, I meant back with the members of Mystery Inc. I missed them all too much.

I slowly walked toward Shaggy, and leaned my head against his chest. When I felt his arms wrap around me, I let the tears flow.

"Like, Velma it's okay," I heard him say, "I didn't mean to upset you, honest."

"You idiot!", I exclaimed through my sobs, "You didn't upset me, I missed you! I've missed you and everyone else so much. I thought walking away would solve everything, but I was so wrong."

He took my hand and led me to sit in the bean bag chairs that sat in front of his television. "Velma, like seriously; what's wrong?"

"I," I wouldn't tell him. I knew that for a fact, so I opted for telling him something else that had been bothering me, "I've been gone for so long. I thought I was on a journey of self discovery, but I wasn't. I thought Mystery Inc. was holding me back from reaching my true potential. Shaggy, I was so wrong; Mystery Inc. _is_ where my true potential lies. I'm supposed to be out there solving mysteries and busting the bad guys with you and the gang. Instead of being out there with you guys, I became head of the Science Department at the University, and it's not me. I'm lonely, I'm bored, and it's not where I belong."

I couldn't look at Shaggy; I'd forever be known as 'Crybaby Velma' or something stupid like that. I had already started to cry again, though not as loud as before. Shaggy scooted his bean bag over next to mine and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Like Velms, we all miss you. Daphne was distraught, I mean like, she did lose her sister. Fred was pretty down, not having anyone to pick on like he did with you. Scooby-Doo, well he like, he moped around for quite some time. He didn't even have the heart to eat a Scooby Snack before a mystery. We each tried to give him one, but he refused to take any part in looking for clues. And I...," he stopped.

"And you, Shaggy?", I proded, willing him to continue.

I watched him as he looked at me and sighed, "I missed you so much. When we found out you were gone, I was freakin' out, man. I didn't know what to think or what to expect. I was frantic, Velms. Like, when Daphne found the letter, and read it out loud to all of us, I felt numb. I missed my best friend so much. Like, it got so bad I wouldn't eat. I couldn't bring myself to. I felt like I did something wrong, like all of us did. I never cry over anything, Velma; I cried for two weeks straight before the gang started pulling me to my feet. It just hasn't been the same without you."

I held in a gasp at his words. Shaggy not eating? What did I cause now? I felt the tears pour over again and I began to cry into my knees as I curled into a ball, "I caused you to not eat? I'm so sorry Shaggy! I fuck everything up, don't I? I was never good for anything, hell I even cause appetite loss. Why come back for me when I can't do a damn thing right?"

I felt myself being brought in for a hug. Shaggy must have really missed me, because he hardly ever gave out free hugs. Crying into my best friend's shoulder, his words made my sobs reside, "Because, Velma. Like, we're not a team without you. You can't spell team without Velma! You don't mess anything up, so like, stop saying that. I didn't eat because I missed you. It's like, a common thing for depressed people to do, man."

He made me giggle. Shaggy actually made me, little old sadistic me, giggle. It felt so good to laugh, yet it felt foreign to me. I'd changed a lot over the past five years. Nobody, not even my parents, know what happened to me. Well, nobody except for my therapist, Mrs. Linda anyway. I couldn't tell anyone, especially not Shaggy. I had someone I could lean on for support, again. I've missed that greatly. I've missed the entire gang, but I've missed Shaggy's funny and carefree nature more than anything.

Pulling away from him, I smiled and took my glasses off to clean them. "Shaggy, I want to come back, and I'm going to. I know what I said, and okay I was wrong. I'm coming back, just give me a day to say goodbye to my parents first. I also have to quit my job. I know we'll be coming back to visit at least once a month, but I don't want them to be upset because I didn't say goodbye."

"Like, no problem, Velma," he smiled at me, a look of relief on his face, "I have to visit with my parents, too. When you're ready, I'll be here waiting. The gang is in the next town over, so we'll catch a ride there. Like, don't forget to pack!"

I nodded, and smiled. Walking to the door, I smiled at knowing that I was doing the right thing.


	4. Meeting Up

Shaggy

It'd been around ten minutes since Velma had walked out the door, and I sprawled out on my bed. I was exhausted from my nerves overworking; I tried not to show it, but being around Velma made me nervous. I'm not afraid of her, but I just get this awfully strange feeling around her. I guess I'm just happy to have my best friend back.

Honestly, though, it had been weird seeing her in something besides that skirt of hers. Denim looked nice on Velma, though. I remember Daphne always trying to give Velma makeovers so that she could snag a guy. I chuckled as I shook my head; Velma didn't need a makeover, she's fine the way she is.

Maybe that's what always stood out to me about Velma. She's always been different. Where most girls were concerned about their makeup or even potential boyfriends, Velma was a woman of knowledge and science. She dressed her own way and never let any of the popular trends affect her. I'd always noticed that she never really cared to find a man. In a way, that overjoyed me because I didn't have the fear of never speaking to her again because of a man. Then Velma left, and I had a whole new reason to be afraid.

Something bothered me though, and I frowned. I had a gut feeling that there was something more to this than Velma was telling me. When you travel with someone for countless years, and they become your best friend, you learn to read a person. She may have kept her facts straight, but I could see the pain in those brown eyes of hers and I didn't like it. I won't pester her about it now, but eventually I need her to tell me. I need to know that I'm the best friend she says I am. I need to know she trusts me.

My mind drifted back to that night at that old, scary house. I think it was called Elanor Manor or something of the sort.

_Scooby and I had fallen into yet another hole. It's what we were good at, so I didn't question it. _

_ "Are you guys okay?", Velma called down to us, voice full of worry._

_ "Like, we're okay, Velms!", I shouted back, Scooby shouted, "Reah, rhere rood!"_

_ "Okay," I watched as she loomed over us and she continued, "I'm going to try and find a rope or something that I can pull you guys out with."_

_ Usually there's a tunnel or some way out of these holes. After all, a lot of times Scooby and I venture off on our own. Lately, though, Fred and Daphne have been wanting a bit of alone time, so Velma tags along with us. That's fine by me, though. _

_ "Alright, Velms," I started to say, "we'll be right- Velma! Behind you!"_

_ My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I watched a being rise up behind her. It was a man, I could tell that much by looking at him. He wasn't just a man, though; he was a very large man in an old, bandaged face mask. Not a word was spoken as he loomed over Velma. She turned around and screamed as he raised up a knife._

_ "VELMA, FORGET THE ROPE! RUN!", I yelled at her. I have never yelled at Velma in my life, but in that state, I panicked. I began trying to look for a way out, but to no avail. I heard Velma's dress shoes as they smacked against the floor, followed by heavier foot steps, and then they died out all together. 'She left the room, and that guy's right behind her!'_

_ "Scoob, we have to get out of here and help Velma!", I said while freaking out. Poor Scooby, he was afraid, yet he managed to try and sound intimidating. I was panicing to the point that I never heard the growl that ripped out of Scooby's throat. He'd been trying to scare the man, but what could we do? We're trapped in a hole._

_ "Daphne! Fred! Help us!", I yelled._

_ It felt like hours had passed before I heard footsteps, and Daphne's voice, "Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, where are you guys?"_

_ "Like, down here, Daphne!", I shouted frantically. _

_ When we found Velma, she was lying in a cage and she looked pretty beaten up. None of us had ever gotten hurt like that before, and my heart dropped. My mind tuned everyone out, and all I could see was Velma. I had found her glasses lying in a hallway, so I knew something bad had happened._

_ I ran to her and slid her glasses on her face. She looked up at me, and I had said, "Velma, like what happened to you?"_

_ I never got an answer, because Velma passed out._

_ The police passed her injuries off as bruises from a struggle. She must have been dragged, because her stomach had carpet burn and splinters, as well as her arms. After getting her to wake up, and the police stating that she would be okay, we stayed at a local hotel._

_ We had caught the man in a trap built by Fred, but the man had refused to talk. We had no idea who he was, all we knew is he'd been terrorizing the building so they wouldn't burn it down to build a new home; there was treasure burried under the house. He'd just kept staring at Velma; something I didn't like too much._

_ Daphne managed to get Velma to eat some soup and drink some apple juice, but other than that, she was quiet. We all gathered around her, but I could tell she wanted her space, so I just cleared everyone out. As I got ready to leave, she whispered, "Shaggy,"._

_ I turned around, and without a smile, she said, "Thank you, Shaggy."_

_ "You're welcome," I smiled at her, "get some sleep, Velma. Goodnight."_

_ "Night," came her meek reply. I felt like punching something; what happened to her?!_

_ An hour passed, and we checked in on her. She was curled up in the bed asleep, so Daphne went in and prepared her bed on the other side of the room. Velma may have wanted space, but we didn't want her to sleep alone. _

_ Fred, Scooby, and I slept across the hall. None of us noticed Velma leaving until it was too late._

I sighed as the memories of that night faded out into nothing, and rolled over. I should have been stronger for her, and less of a klutz. If I weren't so immature, Scooby and I never would have fallen in that hole. I would have torn more than that man's face off if I would have been able to. I don't know if Velma has realized this or not, but I've grown up quite a bit in five years. A lot of it has to do with her being gone. I felt this crazed drive to man up, you know, just in case she ever came back. I have to protect her. Sure, I'm still the same, goofy, food loving guy, but I'm different.

A knock on my door brought me back into reality, and my mom walked in, my dad right behind her.

"Sweetie, is everything alright?", my mom asked me kindly, concern spread across her features.

"Like, everything's totally okay," I replied, smiling.

My dad nodded and continued, "We thought we heard Velma down here, so we came down to say hello."

"She was here," I said, "but she had to go home. I have convinced her to join Mystery Inc. again, guys. She's really coming back."

My parents both grinned at each other, and I scratched my head, "What?"

"Oh nothing," my mom smiled, "you two are so cute, that's all."

"Huh?"

"Cynthia," my dad laughed, "leave him be. When are you leaving, son?"

"Tomorrow around lunch," I smiled, "I'll call Velma later and have her come over for breakfast. Then we'll have the gang pick us up."

"Wonderful," my mom and dad said at the same time, and I smiled. They always loved Velma, and it's no wonder. She was always so good to them.

I pulled out my phone and gave a call to Fred.

Velma

So it was set. I'm finally going back with Shaggy, back to Mystery Inc.

I wonder if the gang is angry with me for leaving? Probably. Shaking the thought out of my head, I walked into my house, and went upstairs. Pulling out my new cell phone, I dialed the Dean of Coolsville University's number.

"Hello?", his voice came through the phone, a voice that demanded respect.

I gulped, "Hi, Mr. Edwards? This is Velma Dinkley."

"Oh, Velma!", he sounded surprised, "What can I do for you?"

"Well, er, you see," I studdered, "I'm afraid I can no longer hold my position as the Head of the Science Department. I know this is going to sound stupid, but I thought that's what I wanted to do with my life. A few drastic things happened, and I know where my true calling lies. Unfortunately, it isn't with Coolsville University. I know this is last minute, and I want to apologize. I'm sorry, sir."

"No need to apologize," he replied, "You see, before I became Dean, I thought I wanted to be an astronaut. Boy was I wrong; I didn't know until I tried, though. It's life, Velma. We all go through it. I'll send your month's pay through the mail, and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do. Have a good day."

"Thank you sir," I smiled, "you too."

-click-

It was my mother's voice that made me jump, I think. Honestly, though, I nearly jumped out of my chair. "Is it true, Velma? You're quitting?"

My father stood behind her, looking at me hard. "What on Earth, Velma? I thought you loved your job?"

"Mom, dad," I looked directly at them, my fears growing close to the surface, "I'm going back with Shaggy to Mystery Inc.."

I watched with uncertainty as the seconds passed by, feeling like an eternity had passed before my father spoke, "Is that all? I thought something had happened."

I couldn't believe it! I'd only been back for a month, and they were acting like it was no big deal that I was leaving! I'd been living upstate with my aunt in the country, visiting with my therapist. I had finally decided that it was time to come home, since I had recollected myself.

"Seriously?", I asked, bewildered, "You're not angry at me?"

"Why would we be?", my mom laughed, "Honey, you're an adult now. We trust your friends, and we love Shaggy. I know he'd protect you and keep you safe. Besides, you're happy when he's around."

"Mom," I rolled my eyes, "He's my best friend. Of course I'm happy when he's around. I'm happy when all of the gang is around."

The two shared a smile with one another, and for once, I sat there confused.

"Well," my dad said while straightening his tie, "just join us for dinner, and we'll be going-oh hold on the phone is ringing."

I sat there, smiling at nothing while my mom watched me. I felt lost in my own world, thinking aobut how wonderful being back with my friends would be.

"Velma, phone!", I heard my dad call, and I got up.

"Hello?"

"Velma, hey," It was Shaggy. I smiled.

"Hey, Shaggy."

"Like, I wanted to let you know that we'll be leaving around ten tomorrow," he said, "So I wanted to like, see if you wanted to crash at my place and join us for breakfast tomorrow. Then the gang is going to swing by and get us."

"Sounds wonderful, Shaggy," I said while smiling, "I'll be there around eight. I'm at least going to eat with my parents tonight."

"Cool," he said, "how are they taking you leaving?"

"They're actually cool with it," I said, "they said they trust you to protect me, so it's all good."

"Like, awesome!", he sounded ecstatic, but then became quiet, "And they're right, Velms; I'll always protect you. See you at eight!"

"Bye, Shaggy."

"See ya!"

..8..

Shaggy

When Velma knocked on my door, I opened it and smiled at her. She was wearing a pair of red pajama pants and an orange shirt. It amazed me how she could pull off something so simple, but then again, it _is_ Velma. Her brown eyes glimmered behind her glasses.

"Like, hey," I smiled, "you're four minutes late. Tsk, tsk."

She laughed, and I just kept smiling. I'd missed that laugh so much. I'd missed _her_ so much, almost to a breaking point. "Come on, I have the bed in the guest room set up for you."

"Okay," she smiled and followed me upstairs. Thankfully, my parents had already went to sleep for the night. It was early, but since they're both insomniacs, the earlier the better.

I led her to the guest room, and told her goodnight. We had to get up around eight thirty, so sleep was definitely a necesity.

Before I left the room, a stuffed animal in her arms caught my eye and I smiled, "Like, is that the same elephant I won you at the fair forever ago?"

"Yeah, it's Marty," she smiled, "I can't sleep without hugging him up at night."

"Night, Velms."

"Goodnight, Shaggy," she smiled. I knew tomorrow was going to be a good day by the way she smiled at me.

..8..

Shaggy

Breakfast with my family went rather well. As expected, they asked Velma a ton of questions, but Velma was okay with that. Whether she lied about anything when she answered, I don't know. All I know is Velma plus a hearty breakfast equals a good day for me. I left the room when my phone started to ring. It was Fred.

"Hey Shaggy, we're almost there," he said.

"Cool. Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it. Did you take care of whatever it was you had to do?"

"Yeah, I sure did. Just come on in when you get here, my parents want to see you."

"Sure thing. See you in about three minutes."

-click-

"So they don't know I'm coming?", Velma asked as she walked up beside me.

I shook my head, "Nope. You're a surprise. Now get in the kitchen and eat, I'll bring them to you."

"Okay," she said, smiling at me.

I stood by the door waiting when a knock came from the other side of it. Upon opening it, I smiled as Fred, Daphne, and Scooby-Doo walked in.

Scooby practically jumped on me, and Fred and Daphne greeted me and hugged my parents.

"Guys, I have to show you something," I smiled, "follow me."

They all gave quizical looks at me, but followed me nonetheless. As we walked into the kitchen, I heard them all gasp.

Velma stood, and I watched the scene unfold. Daphne ran to her, and hugged her hard. Tears started streaming down both of the girls' faces. Fred couldn't hold back and he grabbed the two in a tight embrace. Scooby ran over to them and wrapped his paws around her waist. I felt left out, so I walked on over and threw my arms around Velma, and rested my head on her shoulder.

It felt like hours passed before we broke apart. I didn't let Velma go, even after everyone seperated. I couldn't help it, though. Reality struck me, and the fear of losing Velma rose again.

"Shaggy, you can let go now," she whispered and I apologized, brushing it off as thinking about food.

"Okay guys, we'll talk in the van. We have to be in Florencedale at five and that's quite a drive for us.

Velma ran to my room and grabbed her bags, and we headed out.


	5. Realizations

...Velma...

The Mystery Machine felt foriegn and cozy at the same time. I guess I'd been away so long that I'd forgotten my true home, and my true friends. It was all so much to take in at one time, but it was one of the best feelings I had ever felt.

I sat in the back with Shaggy and Scooby, and noticed that they had carpeted the back. It was a fuzzy carpet, the kind that you could lay on and feel as though you were on a feather. It also came to my attention that there were also three, small bean bag chairs leaning against the back of the seats. I had taken the liberty of making myself comfortable in one.

Shaggy sat next to me, and Scooby rested his head on my knee. I felt like mentally smacking myself, thinking that the gang would be angry with me. All I felt from them now is a sense that I had been missed.

"Velma," Daphne turned around to talk to me, "where have you been? How are you?"

I smiled, not being able to help myself, "Well, honestly gang, I have been doing something that I should never have done. I've been out there, trying to find myself. I thought life had more to offer for me, so I went searching for it. I was wrong, so very wrong. I belong right here with you guys."

"And like, that's just where you are gonna stay," Shaggy grinned, throwing his arm around my neck. I felt my cheeks growing warm, and it confused me.

Another thing that I must have been blind to, is the fact that Shaggy actually had grown some muscle on those lanky arms of his. It wasn't a dramatic amount, but it still surprised me.

"We've missed you, Velma," Fred said while driving, "all of us did, but some missed you just a little more than others."

_What's he saying?_ "I missed you guys too," I replied, looking down out of shame, "I'm sorry I left without warning. I was just so stressed out, and confused. I felt like if I had told you all that I was leaving, you would be hurt. I didn't want to see that."

"We were hurt, Velma," Daphne said, her eyes watering up, "I lost my sister figure, and didn't know where she went. I was so down. I stopped caring about my appearance, and about pretty much everything. It made me wonder if I had done something wrong by not getting there to you in time."

"Guys, I have to tell you," Velma sighed, "I was in a state of panic. I had so many feelings rushing through my head, and I was pretty scared. I was mad because you and Fred hadn't showed up yet. However, that is not why I left. You guys didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry I got mad at you two."

"Velma, it's understandable," Fred replied, and I relaxed, "if I had been in your situation, I would have probably been mad at every one of you for not coming to get me away from the predator. We forgive you, right Daphne?"

"Right! Velma," she said while looking away from me, "I'm sorry we didn't show up. We never heard you scream or make a sound. We didn't even know you were missing until we found Shaggy and Scooby. Can you forgive us?"

"I forgive you," I said, "Though you did nothing wrong. Like I said, it was just my mind freaking out in that moment. To think that if Shaggy wouldn't have yelled at me, I'd probably be dead right now. The guy never made a sound, and I never heard him. Shaggy alerted me, and told me to run."

"Like, I don't know what I would have done, Velma," Shaggy's voice had dropped close to a whisper, "I totally freaked, and I still feel like shit for not getting out of that hole to come after you. I should have stopped him, and I didn't."

"You mean you, Mr. Scaredy Cat, would have actually come to my rescue?", I laughed, "Shaggy, we all know how chicken you and Scooby are."

"Rey, Ri ram rot a ricken," Scobby chuckled, "Ri rust ret rurt and rant ro ranyrere raunted."

"Right," I laughed and turned my attention back to Shaggy. His face was full of emotions that I couldn't pick up, "Shaggy? You okay?"

"Velma, like I may have been nothing but a pathetic, worthless piece of shit who was good at nothing but getting freaked out," he said, causing my heart to drop, "but I tried everything I could to get out of that hole. Like, I would have stopped at nothing to tear that guy to pieces. He hurt you, Velma, and like, that's not something I ever want to see happen to you again. Like, you're too sweet to get bruised up like that."

I sat in silence, cringing when Shaggy pulled his arm from around my shoulders. What did I do?

"Well gang," Fred suddenly interrupted my thoughts, "how about we drop what happened, and talk about some more interesting facts; such as our next mystery."

"Ronsters?", Scooby said, his ears flattening against his head, "Ruh uh. Rount re rout."

"According to the news, there has been a string of disappearances up in Florencedale. I made a few phone calls, and we have a hotel room booked for the week. They only had one, but it's two bed. Shaggy and I will share, and Daphne and Velma can have the other. Anyway, I got a call from a man named Tony Williamson; the mayor of Florencedale. Apparently, he's heard of us and wants us to look into it."

When we arived in Florencedale, I had already noticed that Shaggy had pretty much isolated himself on the other side of the Mystery Machine. He hadn't spoken a word to me, and it really hurt. I know that I had said something that had pissed him off, but I didn't know what I had said wrong. Everyone knew that Shaggy as well as Scooby were both afraid of scary situations, monsters, and anything with the words ghost, haunted, spooky, scary, and other related words in the name. So why did he get upset when I said that?

Shrugging it off and letting him have his space, I got out of the back of the van and joined everyone else at the door of Florencedale's City Hall. It was an older style of archetecture, yet it still held a fair amount of beauty.

I stood between Daphne and Fred as we walked down the hall of the building, and kocked on the mayor's office door.

"Come in," an older voice drifted through the door. As we walked in, a middle aged man who looked to be in his late fifties sat behind a small desk. A few newspapers and a stack of papers sat in front of him, and he looked to be tired.

"Ah, you must be the famous Mystery Incorperated," he smiled at us.

"I don't know about famous, Mr. Williamson, but yes sir, that would be us!", Fred beamed as he sat down, Daphne making herself comfortable beside him. I sat between the two, while Shaggy and Scooby stayed behind us.

"Good to see you made it here safely," the Mayor said quietly, "you can all call me Tony. It's what my friends call me. Let me fill you in on everything that's going on, and I will let you be on your way to the hotel you are staying at. I assume you are staying at the Mitchell Inn? It's the only one that is actually in town instead of on the outskirts."

Once we gave him a yes to his question, he continued, "Well, it all started about two weeks ago. I was working late as usual, when I heard a cry coming from the next room, which is office to my assistant. I got up, and ran out of the room thinking that she may have fallen. The door was locked, and I had to run back and get my key. Once I got in the room, though, Nancy was just gone. There were papers everywhere, and her chair was knocked over. The window behind her was broken, and glass littered the floor."

Tony apologized and stopped mid sentence to blow his nose. The poor man was a wreck, and we could only listen as he carried on his story through the quiet tears that he cried. "I'm sorry. Oh yes, I called the police, and they determined that someone broke in and took Nancy. Not only that, but they also took a pocket watch that belonged to my grandfather. It had been in Nancy's office, as the next day she was supposed to take it to get it fixed. The strange part, though, is that the watch was in a secret compartment located inside of the clock in her office. I don't understand how the kidnapper knew it was there, unless she told him of course.

Other than Nancy, in total, eight other people have just disappeared in similar manners. Nancy was around your age, as well as the others that were taken. If you need a police report on any of them, here. I have written permission and have talked to the Sherrif; you have full permission to look into anything that needs to be looked into."

"Thank you sir," I said, "Do you mind if we take a look in Nancy's office?"

"Sure, sure," he said, handing a small key to me, "Take as much time as you need. If you need to go and come back, you're welcome to. I just want everyone back."

...Shaggy...

The gang entered the small office while Scooby and I looked around the rest of the building, trying to find anything suspicious. I know Scooby understood why I was upset, but I was beginning to realize that there was more to it than that.

If Daphne would have said those words to me, I would have laughed and joked with her about it. I would have done the same thing with Velma; five years ago. Things change over time, and so do people. _So do emotions_.

She's still my best friend, Velma Dinkley. Realization finally started to crumble down on me, and it really scared me quite a bit. Where we used to sit down and laugh about my appetite, now I felt like she was making fun of me. Deep down, I knew that she was only messing around, but my heart still ached.

I wanted to deny it; I wanted to laugh and call myself stupid. I felt like I was on a cloud and trapped in a hole all at the same time; because there is no way in hell that Velma Dinkley would ever love me back.


	6. Surfacing

...Shaggy...

After not finding much of anything worth calling a clue, and considering our check-in time at the hotel was in about thirty minutes, Fred told the mayor that we'd be back tomorrow. Scooby-Doo and I had found ourselves in front of the snack machine, and it was pretty close to being empty when Fred, Daphne, and Velma came up behind us.

"I'm glad to see that your appetite is still with us," Velma giggled, and I looked away. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her. Apparently, it wasn't much of a big deal because she kept quiet and changed the her route of conversation to Daphne.

"I'm just going to be blunt; I don't like the mayor too much," Velma stated, causing everyone to look at her; even me.

"What do you mean?", Fred asked what we'd all been thinking, "He seemed nice enough to me. The poor guy is just upset. I mean his assistant _did_ get kidnapped."

"I don't know," Velma just sighed, "it's probably stupid. I just got the strangest feeling when listening to his story. It's probably just my imagination, but I think he's hiding something."

"Well gang, we won't know until we come back to look for more clues tomorrow morning," Fred stated and crossed his arms.

Daphne stepped into the conversation, "Then, I think after that we should have a look around the town. We should see if anyone else might know something. We also need to take a look at the police reports."

"Right, so it's settled," Velma nodded, "Looks like we're going to be splitting up again."

"Are you sure you're okay with that, Velma?", Daphne asked, concern apparent on her face.

"Guys, I'm fine; really," Velma smiled, but I could tell that it was forced. She wasn't okay, but she also didn't want to talk about it.

888

Back at the hotel room, we sat on our seperate beds as Scooby and I devoured six delicious ham, pepperoni, black olive, anchovy, and bell pepper pizzas; complete with the chocolate sauce.

I couldn't help myself to listen in on Daphne and Velma's quiet conversation, even with the television on.

"So Velma, did you meet any cute boys while you were away?", Daphne asked.

I held my breath as I waited for her answer. She replied, "Not really. I mean, one of the professors that I worked with was pretty cute, but he just wasn't what I wanted, I guess."

"Did you two ever date?"

"Oh, no. I didn't want to date anyone. I was completely focused on everything else. I didn't need a guy holding me back," came Velma's quick reply. I felt my heart drop once again, and I stood up.

"Daphne, like where's Fred?", I asked quickly, avoiding Velma's gaze.

"I think he's down at the Mystery Machine making sure we have enough gas and supplies for tomorrow. Why?", Daphne asked, answering my question.

I turned around and headed for the door, "Like, I just forgot that I had to ask him something. I'll be back!"

I slammed the door, and ran down to the parking lot.

888

"Fred! Fred, oh there you are. Like man do I ever need to talk to you," I panted as I leaned against the Mystery Machine.

After giving me an odd look, Fred said, "Okay? That's weird, you never need to talk about anything. What's up?"

"I..like, see there's this girl, and I-"

"Shaggy, just tell Velma how you feel," Fred smiled as he confronted me.

_Zoinks! How does he know?! _"Velma? Like come on Fred, I wasn't talking about Velma. Heh heh."

"Oh come on, Shaggy. You've been acting weird all day. You were depressed more than any of us when she left, and now that she's back, you've been acting jumpy and a little on edge. That's called nerves, Shaggy, which means that you love Velma," he said matter-of-factly.

I look at Fred and sighed; he had it all figured out. "Okay, Fred I'll admit it; I love Velma Dinkley. Just don't say anything to anyone; not Velma, not Scooby, and not Daphne. Please."

"Gotcha," he nodded while raising the hood of the van.

"I just don't know what to do. Like, Velma is so perfect and I'm not. She'd never fall for me, man," I looked down at the ground.

"Shaggy, that's a load of shit right there. Velma has her flaws, just like everyone else. You may not feel perfect compared to her, but you never stopped to think; maybe you are perfect _for _her. You're always making her laugh and you're the best at putting a smile on her face. You even tinted her cheeks pink in the van this morning. She may not realize it yet, Shaggy, but I think Velma may be developing a bit of feelings for you," Fred said as he checked the engine over.

"Just..okay. I'll tell her; I just need time first," I sighed.

"Understandable. You're going to want it to be perfect. Now I have to tell you something. My three year anniversary with Daphne is next Thursday. Keep this a secret as well; I'm asking her to marry me."

88

...Velma...

"Wow, I'm so glad you two finally got together. I always knew it would happen. Three years of being together, I'm happy for you. Um..Daph, I think Shaggy is mad at me," I sighed as she combed my hair. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach, and felt as though I was going to be sick, "You know, for this morning? About how I called him a chicken, and made fun of him protecting me?"

I raised my left eyebrow as she giggled, "Oh Velma, Shaggy isn't mad at you. Why would he be? Haven't you noticed how sweet he acts toward you? Or how caring he is when it comes to your safety? How about-"

"I get it Daphne, he's a good friend and friends don't get mad at each other," with that, I took a swig of my bottled water.

"Velma, don't be silly. It's more than that; Shaggy loves you!", she exclaimed, causing me to spray my water everywhere.

"WHAT?!", I cried out, "That's crazy talk! He's just my _friend_ Daphne, nothing more. Besides, what would Shaggy see in me anyway? I'm too much of a brainiac for him. All I do is make him feel stupid with my vocabulary. Besides, he's too much of a sweet heart to want to be with me."

"That's nonsense, Velma Dinkley and you know it," Daphne stopped brushing my hair and I turned around to face her. She continued, "You want to know something? After you left, Shaggy just wasn't himself anymore. He was depressed, he stopped eating, Scooby Snacks didn't interest him, and he cried, Velma; Shaggy actually cried in front of all of us. He cried on multiple occasions. The poor guy ended up having to be taken in for anxiety pills because he was on edge so much. I don't think you've ever noticed this, but he's the one who always makes you laugh. He's sweet to you, and he cares about you more than anything in his life. He may not even realize it, but Shaggy Rogers loves you."

"Daphne, I-"

"He's done a lot of changing for if you ever came back. He started exercising more, and working out. It surprised Fred and I, but he told us that it's for you."

"Hey girls, sorry we held you up for so long," Fred said as he walked in the door, Shaggy not too far behind him.

"Hey sweetie," Daphne cooed as Fred swept her into his arms for a kiss.

As sweet as it was, I was more concentrated on the man who sat across from me on his bed. I couldn't help but get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched him pat Scooby on the head; poor Scooby had fallen asleep shortly after Shaggy had went out to the van. He sad he was turning in early because he was exhausted from the car ride.

For the first time, I really stopped to take in Shaggy. His messy, dirty blonde hair nearly hung in his eyes, and he still had that little goatee. His hazel eyes seemed distant to me, as if something bothered him. I noted the way his lips tugged, and my stomach tugged as well. His slightly tanned, and toned arms were crossed over his chest, and he leaned his head back against the headboard of the bed. Okay, so Shaggy Rogers is pretty handsome; I just never noticed. If I did, I didn't pay any mind to it.

"Hey, Shaggy," I said quietly, walking over to him and sitting beside him. He flinched and looked up at me, a look of confusion glimmering in his eyes.

"Like, hey Velms," he said, "what's up?"

I felt myself growing uneasy, and I stumbled over my words, "I..uh..I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to make you mad, or upset you or anything. I'm sorry. You've always just been the goofy one out of the bunch, and I just didn't realize that you've changed. I'm sorry."

My heart was relieved when Shaggy gave me a smile and he chuckled, "Nah, I'm still the same goofy loser that I was. I just got buff; I'm a buff loser. Velma, like I could never be mad at you, I promise."

"Shaggy, you're not a loser; you're absolutely amazing at everything you do. Eating, being funny, caring about others, being my best friend...," I said, smiling at him.

"Thanks, Velma," he said while looking above me, "you know, I-"

"Well, guys," Fred had walked up to us, "we should get some sleep. We do have to get up early tomorrow, so it sounds good to me."

"Like, you're absolutely right, Fred! Okay guys, like it's bed time!", Shaggy shouted, suddenly jumping up.

As I crawled into bed next to Daphne, I heard her whisper, "He's nervous; give him time."

I lay there, thinking about nothing but my best friend as we all tried to drift into sleep.


	7. Silver Lining

...Velma...

So here I am in the back of the Mystery Machine with my best friend and my best friend's other best friend; Scooby-Doo. I knew that I was being unusually quiet, but I just couldn't help it. Scooby had prepared himself a giant sandwich with more condiments than a grocery store carried, and Shaggy joined him while playing a handheld game console.

Speaking of Shaggy, he's the reason I'm so quiet. See, last night, I lay awake for three and a half hours think about nothing but Shaggy Rogers. I couldn't help it! What if Daphne is right? Could Shaggy be in love with me? Velma Dinkley? What if he _is_ in love with me? What do I do? It's not that I don't think I could love him back, I mean I thought about that too.

It's my past; it's what happened to me. Am I ready for this? I swore off men after I got raped by that monster. What I didn't expect was for my best friend to show up, and for him to start making me feel things that I've never felt before. He's made me blush three times this morning and it's over the most simple things! He held the door open for me, he said 'Hey Velma', and he made me a small sandwich just the way I like it; he remembered! Why do I feel like a giddy little school girl, and why is it so hard for me to understand that Shaggy isn't the monster who forcefully stole my virginity?

I know that he's worried about me, and that he wants to know what really happened. I just don't know if I can tell him. If Shaggy is in love with me, and I tell him, he's just going to run away from me. However, my best friend needs to know. I just...I'm falling in love with Shaggy. I know that. All I could think about last night was all of the sweet, tender moments we have shared together, and how blind I was to the attraction that I felt. It's no wonder I feel so comfortable around him.

I can't make the first move, can I? I'm too afraid. To think I called _him_ the chicken.

"Velms," his voice broke me out of my thoughts, "is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, everything's just fine," I lied. I needed to talk to im, but I didn't want to be weird.

"Okay gang, we're here. Velma, you and Shaggy go and look for clues. Daphne and I are going to take Scooby with us to the office and sniff around while the Mayor is gone for his meeting.", Fred said.

"Ri rant ro rith Raggy rand Relma?", Scooby asked, his ears flattened down on his head.

"Not this time, Scooby, we need you," Daphne said softly, "don't worry. They'll be just fine."

"Rokay," he said, still sounding sad.

"I'm sorry Scooby," I said while rubbing his head, "how about I take you out for lunch to make things up to you? All you can eat?"

"Rall ri ran reat? Rokay!", Scooby exclaimed, coming back to us.

We all laughed and got out of the Mystery Machine, only to see that City Hall was closed. "Damnit, I forgot today is Sunday. Everyone is at home or at church," Fred said, crossing his arms.

"Then we'll have to get in the old fashioned way; find a window to crawl through," Shaggy said while walking over to me.

"Well, Shaggy," Daphne laughed, "you're actually feeling adventerous for once. He's right guys, we've got to go in through the window."

888

...Shaggy...

I know I impressed Velma by mentioning the window to her. The gang is always coming up with awesome plans, and though mine wasn't exactly original, it was still a plan.

We were inside the building now, and had just split up. Knowing we had to keep the lights off, I hooked my arm through Velma's.

"Like, we won't get seprated if you hold on to me, Velma," I said quietly.

I couldn't tell if she was blushing or not, but I'd already counted it three times this morning; if I could make her do it again, I would.

"Okay," she said, her voice sounding like honey and peanut butter to my ears.

"There's a staircase, let's go down," she said, and I complied and followed her. As she flicked the flashlight in her hand to the 'on' position, I couldn't help but stare at her face. In the dark, with just the glare of the artificial light, she looked so beautiful to me.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, I realized we were in the basement of the building. "We need to look through the files down here, and see if we can find anything that might help us. I know it's a fresh case but...Shaggy something seems off about the mayor," Velma said.

"I know, Velms," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. Shining my light around, I turned on the lights. "You know, like since we're in the basement, no one will see the lights on."

"Jinkies! This basement is cluttered," she said, making me smile. Oh how I missed her catch phrase.

"Velma..," I started, but she cut me off.

"Shaggy, I need to talk to you," she said, making me raise my eyebrows.

"I..like okay, Velma," I said, unsure of where this was going, "what is it?"

"Come sit with me," she said as she sat on the bottom step of the staircase, "please.."

So I joined her, and she continued, "I need to tell you why I left, Shaggy. I just...I need to know that it will stay between us and only us. I do. I want to tell you, I'm just...afraid."

"Like, Velma," I started, "you ought to know you can trust me. I've done nothing but give you reasons to trust me completely. Like, you need to know that."

"I...SHAGGY I WAS RAPED!", and the tears started to flow, and her hands covered her face. My mind began to reel.

_She was raped? Well that just explains everything! Goddamnit, how could this fucking happen to Velma? I'll find that mother fucker and rip his throat out! That's why she left, because she was ashamed, and afraid that it would happen again. She was doing so well, but I dragged her back. I gave her a choice though, so why did she come? My poor Velma, my poor poor Velma..._

I don't know why it surprised her, but I pulled her into me and held her. I know I surprised her, because she looked up at me with huge, wet eyes and whispered, "You're still here?"

"Like, Velma, why wouldn't I be?", I mumbled as I tucked her head under my chin. I pressed her against my chest and cradled her to me.

"Because-beca...he took it from me..I'm...filthy... because..he touched me...I... I'm not a virgin anymore...he tainted me...how can you...love... someone...who is TAINTED!?", she sobbed, and I froze.

_She...she knows? How does she...is it that obvious? Even to her? And what kind of bull shit is she spewing?_

"Whoa whoa WHOA, Velma," I found my voice, "you're not tainted. You're still the sweet, smart, funny, and beautiful girl that you were five years ago, but you're like, a woman now. Yeah, you've been through a lot, but you're still here aren't you? Man, if that's not being tough, then I don't know what is!"

"But..I..," she started, but I didn't let her finish, because in that moment of pure truth, I kissed her. I'd never kissed anyone in my life, yet it felt so natural. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest, sure. Why wouldn't it? I had my lips against the mouth of the woman who I loved more than life itself, whether she accepted it or not.

If she never spoke to me again, then at least I now I wasn't chicken and told her how I felt. I felt her tense up against me, and I released my hold on her mouth.

I stared into her eyes as she stared back into mine, cheeks flushed and tears still running down her face. "Like, sorry Velma, but you're not going to talk down about yourself to me. I won't let you."

"I'M UGLY!", she blurted out, and then covered her mouth.

Smiling slyly, I removed her hand and leaned in, pressing my mouth to hers once more. This time, though, I felt her kissing me back and fireworks shot off in my head.

Pulling away, I stroked her face and said, "And for your information, I love you because of who you are. You're different. You've never let anyone tell you what to do or who to be. You're so smart, like, I wish I was as intelligent as you. You're so beautiful, you make the sun look dim, and man that's saying something. You're the sweetest woman I've ever met, and I don't ever want to lose you again so Velma, please don't go..."

"Never again, Shaggy," she said while smiling, "I promise."


	8. Entering

...Shaggy...

My mind felt like it was floating away from my body from the pure bliss that I had been feeling for the past hour. I couldn't even bring myself to speak, much less look at Velma. I found that though I was happy, I was also extremely nervous. Where do we stand now? What does this make us? Are we sill friends? Was Velma kissing me back just a spur of the moment thing? Did I ruin her life? Is she okay? So much was running through my mind as I dug through the box of old files that sat under the desk.

"Shaggy," Velma spoke, pulling me out of my thoughts, "Look at this!"

She ran up to me, a genuine smile stretched across her face. "What is that?"

In her hands, Velma held a newspaper article, and a very old one at that. "It's an article from twenty years ago; apparently, this place is built right on top of an underground tunel that the city closed off due to hazards that are not explained in this paper. Anyway, it does state that the tunnel was once used way back in the day to transport female slaves in and out of the city."

"Why only female slaves?", I asked, confused out of my mind.

She sighed, "Shaggy. The Black Market? Sex slaves? Ring a bell?"

"Oh," I blushed, "Sorry I wasn't thinking. Like, what do you think this has to do with the mystery?"

"I think there is a way into the tunnels, actually. Look what else I found," she said, reaching into her pocket.

I watched as she pulled out a small photo book. Upon opening it, she flipped to a page with a picture of a room in it. It looked familiar.

"This is a record of City Hall and each of its rooms that the City keeps to see how well the building and the cleanliness of such is holding up. The date on this picture was dated two months ago. It's a picture of the basement that we're standing in right now. Look at how clean it was," she said, wavering the picture in front of my face.

I did notice. All of the papers that surrounded us now were not in the picture. The files weren't sorted through at all. None of the chairs were broken, and it looked well kept. "So, like, what do you think is going on here?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, making me smile at her innocence, "but I think there's more to this basement than what meets the eye."

"Like, you said City Hall was built on top of some underground tunnels, right? That must mean that like, the basement is _in_ a tunnel," I said, unsure of myself, "at least I think so."

"Shaggy, you're a genius!", she exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck, "we have to go find Fred, Daphne, and Scooby!"

I smiled, "Like, I'm so glad to see you smile, Velms."

She stared me in the eyes and maintained her composure, "Shaggy," I didn't let her finish, because my lips were suddenly pressed against hers. My heart raced in my chest as I pulled her close to me, gently working against her mouth. I wouldn't let myself take this any further than a kiss, as I know we're both not ready for that; Velma more than I.

As I pulled away from her, she leaned her head on my chest. "Shaggy, thank you."

"For what?", I asked, confused even more.

"For always being there for me, and for not walking away," she said, blushing. I smiled as her cheeks turned a small shade of pink.

"Like, Velma I'd never walk away from you. I love you, remember? Even if you don't love me back, I-"

"Velma? Shaggy? You guys down here?", I heard Fred's voice as he walked down the staircase. I felt Velma pull off of me, her face even redder than before.

"Like, yeah! We were just about to come and find you guys," I said, blushing myself.

"What's going on?", Daphne asked, looking at us with a smile on her face, "did you guys find anything?"

"Raggy, are ryou rokay?", Scooby had come up beside me and gave me a look of concern.

"Guys I'm fine, like nothing happened, okay? Anyway, Velma found a clue or two, and like, I hipotized something!", I said, matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, Velma busted out laughing, along with everyone else. "What's so funny?"

"You said, hipotized. Shaggy, it's hypothesized!", Velma said while wiping away her tears of laughter.

I blushed, "Yeah, like, well..."

She put a hand on my shoulder, and smiled, "It's okay," she whispered, "I thought it was cute."

...Velma...

So it's official now; Shaggy does love me, and though I haven't said it back, the feeling is mutual. I'm not sure what's holding me back from saying those three words. I think I'm scared, or nervous; I just don't want to get hurt again. It's Shaggy, though, I know he'd never hurt me.

He did impress me with his 'hipotizis' though, although he did manage to say it wrong. Leave it to Shaggy to try and impress me, but say the word wrong; he's so perfect! I feel so warm and happy, the complete opposite of the past five years for me.

"So there's a pathway down here somewhere, I assume," Fred's voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I nodded. I had informed them on everything that I had found, and what Shaggy may have deduced.

"We have to search for it," I said. I was so glad to be back in Mystery Inc., I never realized just how much I missed all of them.

After around ten minutes of searching, I finally heard something I wanted to hear, "I found a door!"

It was Shaggy. He had moved out a bookshelf, and by himself! "Shaggy, how'd you manage to move that heavy thing alone?"

"Like, I'm just that strong, Velma," Shaggy said while grinning. He still had that grin, even when Daphne pointed out that the bookshelf had a set of wheels on the bottom. I laughed.

"Is it locked?", I asked, walking toward it. When Shaggy opened the door, not only did we have an answer, but also an answer to Shaggy's hypothesis; it did lead directly into the tunnels.

"Gang, it looks like we're going underground, into the tunnels of the deceased black market," Fred said sternly, clutching onto Daphne's hand.

I felt Shaggy's fingers lace through mine, and I blushed. He knew that I was scared; this place was full of not only remanants of the sex trade, but also of death and rape. Young girls were taken away from their families, and from everything they knew and disposed of here. "Shaggy," I whispered, causing him to look at me, "please don't let anyone hurt me."

"I won't Velma, like I promise you that I won't," and he pulled me close.

"Relma, ryou rokay? Rare rhere ronsters?", Scooby asked, walking beside me. He looked at Shaggy's hand in mine, and smiled.

"No, Scooby. I'm not okay. I promise, I'll tell you why later, but I do want you to know something; there are really monsters out there, Scooby. And they used to reside here."


End file.
